I've noticed that in the past few months Ilford has started selling at least its MG IV fiber paper and perhaps all its paper with a slightly redesigned label. As far as I have see there is otherwise no indication that the new paper is any different from the old. Over the past few months I've used several boxes of the paper with the newer labels as well as the original paper. As I've been making this transition I've noticed a couple of differences with the new paper. First it requires about one and a half times the exposure to make the same density of print I had with the old paper. A first I thought it may use be due to my developer becoming exhausted, but it seems to hold true even when I develop a sheet of paper from one box immediately after a sheet from the other one. This change is quite annoying as I try to reprint negatives that I am used to printing with the old paper. Second, at least when the paper gets wet it tends to expand in the long dimension rather than the short dimension. This is not a serious problem, but the difference becomes obvious when I put the prints back to back for drying. I'm starting to wonder if there are other differences that I haven't noticed yet? Has anyone else encountered this problem or know why Ilford did this?
Bookmarks